This Much and No More!

Yesterday,I went to worship at the Lakewood Corps. Captain Marion Platt spoke on the passage of scripture from Acts 5 which outlines the story about Ananias and Saphira. They had sold a piece of their property, gave some of the money to the church and then told everyone that they gave all of the money to the church. They wanted the credit without the sacrifice. Better yet, they wanted to take from community without giving to community. Its a shady way of doing business. They thought they could get ahead by taking more out than they put in.

Continuing on from my last post, Did he or didn't he? The rich young ruler wanted to be a part of the community. He had given the preliminary elements but he had held back from the community that which he was most uniquely endowed to contribute. God blesses all those who earnestly believe in Him. But some are blessed monetarily, some through wisdom, some through relationships, some through gifts of healing and the list goes on. But the strongest gifts that we are given are also the ones that are most difficult to give back to God's kingdom.

If we want to be a part of God's kingdom then we must give what is our best. As one of my friends has put so elegantly:




Thank you for showing me the emptiness of all I held onto, I surrender it all, I surrender my everything for you. P. Laeger (AKA P Diddy)

So in the case of the widow who took her last penny and dropped it in the offering plate, Abraham who raised the knife in the air over his son, or Keith Green who said he wouldn't play music any more until God blessed him or the rich young ruler who walked away sad...we all have an opportunity to give that "Best" thing which God has given us back to Him.

And He is able to make the camel walk right through the eye of the needle.